Kafta in the Oven

I just got home at 3pm today after a day of running around doing weekend-ish type of things. I had no idea what to cook for dinner...

It is pretty warm right now, but I know it is going to get cold this evening and I really felt like a hearty, tummy warming dinner made from ingredients I already have at home - I am not going back out to the shops now! One of my favorite meals since childhood has been "Kafta in the Oven". It is really yummy, warming, filling and easy to make! I timed the preparation today and it only took 6 minutes!

Kafta bel sanniyeh (Kafta in the oven)
Here is my recipe for Kafta in the Oven, and it is true to how my dad taught me to make it over 20 years ago. I have never had the urge to tweak this one - it's so good.

What you need:
Half a kilo of kafta (recipe for Kafta is listed on the Sourced Fresh blog, but is also available already prepared in the meat delivery this May/June order)
2 tins of good quality whole peeled tomatoes
3 large potatoes chopped into big chunks like you would for roasting
1 large onion chopped into wedges
salt, pepper, olive oil

1. Into a good sized roasting pan, place your potatoes, onion and tinned tomatoes
2. Crush the tomatoes in your hands to release the juices, but still kind of stay whole
3. Add 1 x tsp salt and a couple of shakes of pepper.
4. Mix up everything in pan with your hands to ensure all the potatoes and onions are coated
5. Roll the kafta in your hands to make hens egg sized balls and nestle in amongst the vegetables and tomato juices. You should get 6-7 balls from half a kilo.
6. Generously dress with olive oil
7. Pop it into a medium-low oven for a few hours to roast slowly if you have the time, or into a medium-hot oven for about an hour & half if you are more pressed for time. I prefer to cook it slowly as the tomatoes and onions get more caramelised and sweeter the longer you cook it.
8. When the potatoes are cooked through and crisped on top it is ready.
9. Serve hot from the oven with thick sliced crusty bread with lashings of butter.

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